Game



June 15 1926i u l H, N. MASSEY GAME Filed Sept. 21 1925 Patented June 15, 1926.

HERBERT N. MASSEY, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

GAME.

Application filed September My present invention relates to games, and it has .for one of its objects the provision of a game of educational value and particularly one which is amusingV and which will ci'eate interest and develop ability in arithmetic. l

The game of this invention is played on a board with marbles which are shot by one or more players from playing areas in to a field having obstacles such as pins projecting above the surface of the board, and having depressions in the surface of the board adapted to lodge the inai'bles, each of said depressions preferably being labeled with a numeral having prefixed thereto one of the signs of the four fundamental operations of arithmetic, namely, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Another object of the invention is the coii. struction of a field on the playing board which will present a great variety of shots of varying' difficulty. p

Other objects will be apparent from the following description. The game board of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which igure l is a plan view of the game board, and

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2*?. of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings for more detailed description thereof, A represents a square, flat board having' a raised rim 01 border B therearound. Triangular marble pockets O are formed at the corners of the board by partitions D extending between adjacent sides of the border B. A pin E projects above the board at the center there-- of. A five-pointed star F may be drawn on the board, the center of this star being the center of the board. Other pins project above the surface of the board, and these pins are here shown as arranged on circumferences of concentric circles having their center at the center of the` board, and being' designated simply by circles. Theinnermost circle on which pins are arranged has its circumference passing through the apexes of the reentrant angles formed by the lines of the star F, and pins G are arranged on'the circumference at the apex of the reentrant angles.y A second circle may have its circumfeience passingthrough the points of the star, and pins H are positioned at these 4intersection thereof tl'irough the centers of the p 21, 1925. seriai No. 57,735.

points. Other pins H are positioned on the circumference of the second circle and at the withv cii'cle has pins J ference, this circle circuinsc which circuinscribes the second circle.

pins J are positioned positioned radii passing ins G. A third l on its circumribing a square The on the third circle at points where the circumference of the latter through the pins outermost circle its circumference,

this circle circumsci'ibing a square which circuniscribes the third circle.

are positioned on the fifth `where the circumference of The pins K circle at points the latter intersect radii which pass through pins G and H.

A fourth circle has circumference which and fifth circles. The pins tioned in staggered relation The pins L may be disposed pins L positioned on its is between the third L may be posito the pins K. with relation to the pins J and K, for example, when the diameter of the third and'fifth circles are respectively fourteen and twenty inches, the

pinlL may be one and one-half inches from the pin lK on a line and the pin 2L inches from 2K drawn from 1K to lJ may be one and onefhalf on a line drawn from 2K to 2J and the other pins L may be disposed in the same relation with refer pins .l and K. A depression may ence to adjacent bemade in the board Vadjacent each pin and these depressions are preferably behind the Vpins relative to views taken on radiiV passingl through the pins looking toward the center pin..`

These depressions aie represented .in the drawing by circles surrounding semi-circles and beled with the saine letters spending pins but with the taclied to the letters. mentioned depressions I also vide depressions G2 which jacent `the The depressions numerals ranging from one of these numerals is prefixed signs of thefour fundamen arithmetic, tiplication and division.

cumscribes the outermost four spaces numbered 1 yto numerals, between the outer ai'elaas their corresubscript l at- In addition to the preferably proare located adpiiis G and outside the stai' F.

are variously numbered with to ten and each with one of the tal processes of viz, addition, subtraction, mul- A square M circircle and the 4 with Roman most circle and the square M, constitute shooting areas, to which areas the players are confined when shooting marbles into the field within the outermost circle.

The game is played as follows: The game may be played by from one to four players, preferably by four, two players playing opposite each other as, for example, the positions l and 3, and the other pair of players being at positions 2 and 4f. The players agree upon a certain number as, for example, lOO, as the goalof the frame, the side obtaining this score first Winning the game. Each player has preferably ten marbles allowing` him ten shots, one shot at a time, playing round in turn. All the marbles of a given player are of the same color and are different in color from the marbles of the other players. At the end of a series of ten rounds, the player next in order from the one who played first in the previous series has first shot or play. A shot is made by a player supporting a marble by placing the first linger of his left hand upon the marble in a horizontal position and snapping the marble with the second finger of his right hand. in shooting` the marbles, the object is to lodge ones own marbles in the depressions marked plus or multiply, or shoot those of the opponents out of the depressions marked plus or multiply; and also to shoot ones own marbles out of depressions marked minus or divide and to shoot the marbles of ones opponents into the depressions marked minus or divide.

lt Will be readily seen that the marbles for the most part Will not be lodged directly in the depressions but only after rebound or carom from the pins. The marbles which are shot into the field, that is, into the outermost circle, should not be moved Xcept by a shot from a players marble or until the end of a series of ten rounds. After a series of ten rounds, the score is obtained for each pair of partners by making arithmetical calculations called for by depressions holding the marbles. Additions are made first, then subtractions, then multiplications, and tinally divisions. For example, if one player has six marbles in depressions at the end of the series of ten rounds, and these niarbles are in depressions numbered +8, -l-lO, +2,-1, X5, +7; the additions are made first, in which instance the additions equal the sum of 15; the one is then subtracted from the l5, leaving lll, Which is then multiplied by 5, making 70, which is divided by 7, leaving l0. This is the score contributed by one player. rThe process is the same, of course, for each player. If desired, fractions of one-half or more resulting from division may count as one point.

From the foregoing arithmetical calculations, it' will bereadily appreciated that it is to' a players advantagev to lodge his own marbles in depressions marked plus or multiply; to shoot his marbles out of depressions marked minus and divide, and to shoot his opponents marbles out of depressions marked plus or multiply, or into depressi ens marked minus or divide.

From observation of the arrangement of numerals on the board, it will be seen that the numerals are so distributed that neither pair of partners has an advantage over the other pair.

Vilhile l have described on-e embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that modilications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the same. For example, other arrangements of pins and depressions may be devised but the arrangement herein shown is now j )referrc-d.

I claim l. In a marble game, a flat board having depressions in its upper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled with numbers and With symbols of the fundamental processes of arithmetio.

2. In a marble game, a liat board having depressions in its upper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled With numbers and with symbols of the fundamental processes of arithmetic, said depressions and pins being arranged on the circinnferences of concentric circles.

3. In a marble game, a llat board having depressions in its upper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled with numbers and with symbols of the fundamental pr cesses of arithmetic, said pins being arranged on the circumferences of concentric circles.

A. In a marble game, allat board having depressions in its upper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled with numbers and Wit-h symbols of the fundamental processes of arithmetic, said pins being arranged on the circumferences of concentric circles, the circumference of one of the circles passing through the points of a star, the center of which coincides with the centers of the concentric circles.

5. ln a marble game, a liat board having depressions in itsupper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled with numbers and with symbols of the fundamental processes of arithmetic, and a pin at the center of the board.

6. ln a marble game, a A[iat board having depressions in its upper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled with numbers and with symbols of the fundamental processes of arithmetic, said pins being arranged on the circumferences of concentric circles, the circumference of one of the circles passing through the points of a star, the center of which coincides with the centers of the concentric circles7 and a pin at the center of the board.

7. In a marble game, a flat board having depressions in its upper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled with numbers and with symbols of the fundamental processes of arithmetic, said pins being arranged on the circumferences of concentric circles, Where the mentioned circumferences intersect their radii which pass through the points and apexes of the reentrant angles of a star having its center coincident with the center of the board.

8. In a marble game, a .flat board having depressions in its upper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled With numbers and with symbols of the fundamental processes of arithmetic, said depressions and pins being arranged on the circumferences of concentric circles, Where the mentioned circumferences intersect their radii which pass through the points and apexes of the reentrant angles of a star having its center coincident with the center of the board.

9. In a marble game, a flat board having depressions in its upper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled with numbers and Wit-h symbols of the fundamental processes of arithmetic, said pins being arranged on the circumferences of concentric circles, where the mentioned circumferences intersect their radii which pass through the points of the reentrant angles of a star having its center coincident with the center of the board, said board having shooting areas adjacent the corners thereof.

l0. In a marble game, a flat board having depressions in its upper surface, and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled hols of the fundamental processes of arithmetic, said depressions and pins being arranged on the circumferences of concentric circles, Where the mentioned circumferences intersect their radii which pass through the points and apeXes of the reentrant angles of a star having its center coincident with the center of the board, said board having shooting arcas adjacent the corners thereof.

ll. In a marble game, a flat board having depressions in its upper surface,V and pins adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled with numbers and With symbols of the fundamental processes of arithmetic, said depressions and pins being ar ranged on the circumfercnces of concentric circles, said board having shooting areas adjacent the corners thereof.

12. In a marble game, a flat board having depressions in its upper adjacent the depressions, said depressions being labeled With numbers and with s vmbols of the funda-mental processes of arithmetic, said board having shooting areas adjacent the corners thereof.

HERBERT N. MASSEY.

and apeXeswith numbers and With symsurface, and pins 

